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"Wow you look great for someone who just woke up." Sandy said. "Yeah and when you really do wake up I hope you don't scream." Kaitlyn teased as she headed to the bathroom. "Kaitlyn don't you think you better put some clothes on this isn't girls only." Sandy said. "Geez I'm so used to being an only child, I'm so glad I got you." she said pulling on her jeans and a tee shirt and making her way to the bathroom. "You just saved me. I opened the door and there's John leaving the bathroom, I would have felt like a tease in my underclothes." she laughed. Soon breakfast was completed and they made their way downtown, Mary was on duty at the shelter, and that afternoon Kaitlyn would stay and learn shelter responsibilities for tomorrow she would man the shelter. The day flew by and Kaitlyn didn't even have time to feel how tired she was. They returned to the shelter for lunch and after she learned office procedures and that cooking and cleaning went along with shelter duties. "Boy, I pity you guys on my days to cook, I've never learned. The worst grade I've received was my B- in Home Economics, I burned everything in the meal I had to prepare." Kaitlyn confessed. Mary said that with patience she would learn, or it would be the death of her. She helped prepare dinner and saw the joy Mary got from it. They chatted, gettting to know each other better while they prepared dinner. Mary explained how as children, both she and John had lived through floods and tornadoes and the one good memory of all the disasters was that Red Cross Volunteer, with a cup of coffee, a blanket, a friendly smile offered to those in need and they vowed they would some day repay those smiles. "Wow such dedication and such a way to make a difference in this world, Bless you both." Kaitlyn said as she learned to make meatloaf with Mary's help. Later after dinner, "Great meal Kaitlyn and believe me I speak from experience." John said patting his rounded belly.
That night Kaitlyn lay thinking of Isaac's voice talking to her, she thought of how things went so wrong years ago. They had moved to Tulsa right before Kaitlyn started school so she was almost five and they soon got new neighbors, three boys, one girl younger than her and the lady was going to have another baby soon. She remembers the first time she saw Mom Hanson she stared endlessly at her long blonde hair until she finally came over and introduced herself and was so kind when asked if she could touch it, her hair was down to her knees at least. They two became good friends, Kaitlyn would come over everyday after shool and brush her hair and pat her belly talking to the baby. She learned most of what she knew about being a woman and being loved by watching Mom and Dad Hanson. She learned about babies when Avie and then later Mackie was born. And of course she learned about boys, when her Mom decided it would be such a feather in her cap if her daughter snagged Taylor Hanson. She remembers the first time it was suggested that Taylor was a good catch, "Oh Mom he farts and burps all the time. He's just gross. He always bosses me around too, telling me what to watch, what to do, and makes me pick up after him." Kaitlyn complained. But her mother had a mission and what Kaitlyn thought didn't matter. She was dragged kicking and screaming from a wonderful childhood at the age of nine soon to be ten. She thought of all the embarassing moments she had similar to the first two piece bathing suit, the top came up and the bottoms went down every time she jumped in the pool, and the cruel things Taylor said. It was Ike that saved her, telling her to ignore Tay that someday he would be sorry for every mean thing he said, and there were so many. Ike and Mom Hanson kept her head above water so many times.
In a way, that night her world came to an end, was Taylor's fault. She remembered her mother totally embarassing her by telling everyone in the room that Taylor had just asked her baby to go steady and pulling them together and insisting he kiss her. Taylor was glad to prove his 10 year old manhood and grabbed her ass and squeezed it in front of everyone telling her to get him something cold to drink. She was horrified and when she looked to her parents to save her, they were congratulating Taylor on his control. In the kitchen while getting his cold drink, Ike was telling her to slap him, stand up to him, do anything but accept it. "Kaitlyn somewhere there is a guy who'd be so honored to have you love him, and not treat you like this. Don't give up and settle for the likes of Tay, he had no right to treat you that way." Ike told her. He followed her saying it over and over there was someone else and when she stopped and looked at him asking who, he said "I would Kaitlyn, you deserve to be treated special just like you are special to me." Ike confessed than kissed her right there and for the first time Kaitlyn kissed a boy back, not a peck on the cheek or lips like she had done with Tay, she literally wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.
It brought the evening to a crashing halt, Tay and Ike were at each other's throats and her mother had been so humiliated by her behavior that ten days later they were moving to Chicago. As she dragged her from the house that night she told her she would pay, she was grounded and not to have contact with any Hanson for two weeks. Kaitlyn then recalled the day she returned from school seeing the look on Isaac's face, she knew something was wrong. When she walked in the house and it was empty,her parents told her they were moving get into the car. She ran screaming to Mom Hanson begging her to not make her go. "I'll be good. Please, I won't kiss Isaac again. I'll do whatever I have to, just let me stay. Don't let them take me away." she pleaded. She can still see the pain in Mom Hanson's eyes, and her crying, saying there was nothing she could do as her father picked her up, carried her kicking and screaming all the way and when she jumped from the moving car, he beat her for the only time in her life. The neighborhood watched as he struck her over and over until she didn't kick and scream any more and then he shoved her into the back seat of the car and that was the last time she saw Tulsa. Kaitlyn buried her head into her pillow not sure if she would cry, be sick, or what when her cell phone rang. "Hello" she answered. "Kaitlyn are you all right?" Isaac asked worry in his voice, adding, "I haven't been able to get you off my mind for a half hour now and I just had this feeling something was wrong." he finished. "I'm okay now." she said and she cried for the first time since her father's blow silenced more than her kicking and screaming. "Kaitlyn do you feel my arms around you. Don't cry baby. It'll be okay, I promise. No one will ever hurt you again I swear. Let me hold you close. I love you Kaitlyn please don't cry." Isaac said and she finally calmed. "Isaac?" she asked. "Yeah Kaitlyn" he answered "That's the first time I've felt, cried since that day they took me away. I told you it changed me, it felt like something died inside when he hit me over and over. But it didn't die, it was just hiding waiting for the day I got strong." she told him. "Kaitlyn?" he asked. "Yeah hun" she answered "It changed us all too. We all died as we watched him hit you. Mom and Dad felt so guilty not being able to stop it. Mom's cried off and on all day, I can't get it out of my mind either, all the anger and hatred I felt watching him hit you, it's still there. I guess it was hiding too." Ike said. "Isaac please don't feel that way, anger and hatred are hurtful. We've been hurt enough. Hating him didn't help, I tried but one day I realized he's hurting more than my hatred could ever hurt him, he has to live with what he did, he has to live with the fact that his only child doesn't love him for what he is only who he is. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have been born, I can't imagine that being the extent of my only child's feeling towards me. And poor Mom she never had the likes of you telling her not to settle for seconds. I can't think of one single thing she has ever done for herself. That's pathetic, you know." she said. "I'm so proud of you. I can't believe how strong you are." Ike said. "Strong, Me? You're so funny. You always could make me laugh." she laughed. "Stop that, I was serious." Ike said. "Yes dear, you always have been serious, so lighten up." she laughed again. "Kaitlyn you wait until I get my hands on you." Ike said. "Oh sounds interesting, where are you going to put those hands." Kaitlyn teased."Maybe I'll put one on you butt and squeeze." Ike said. "And?" she asked. "Kaitlyn I'm going to hold you for the longest time. Just hold you until you feel how much I love you and missed you." he said. "Oh I think I'm suddenly a very slow learner. You may have to hold me for a long time." she said. "I think I can handle that. Kaitlyn?" he asked "Yes Isaac." she answered. "Kaitlyn do you think I could kiss you again. I'll understand if you don't want me too. I remember you promising you never would kiss me again." he said. "That was only so I could stay, so that look on your face would go away. When I got off the bus and saw you that day, I knew my world would never be the same. I didn't know you had watched them pack it all up, like it never existed. How terrible for you, knowing that they were taking me away all day, then having to watch me fight it so. At times I see the look in your Mom's face, I had no idea what I was doing, hun, I think I honestly believed Mom and Dad could make it not happen. Could I have been that naive. When I read Mom had Zoe, I was so relieved. I worried I had hurt her so deep she might not heal. I've anguished over that look in her eyes that day, I think more than the look on your face." she said crying. "You know this afternoon I found her crying and when I held her she said about the same thing about the look in your eyes when she had to, I think she said crush the soul from her baby and let that monster take her from her. She says she felt you die right before he lifted you from her arms. She's worried, wondered, but always has been too afraid to find out what happened to you. She said down deep she had already felt you die and couldn't face it again." he said his voice trembling. "Hun are you okay? Are you going to be able to handle my coming back?" she asked. "Kaitlyn it's from now until you get here that I can't stand. That's what I can't handle. I need you so much. I need my arms around you. I need to feel you are okay." Isaac confessed. "I know but I can't leave and if you came here, I'd be like totally useless. I just worry that three days won't be long enough to work through this all. I guess I'm glad you called, there's a few more things said that we won't have to spend our three days on." she said.
"Isaac?" Kaitlyn asked. "Huh babe?" he said. "How did you and Tay handle it. I mean I almost freaked when he lunged at you. Ike I never really thought Tay cared one way or the other about me, I actually thought he would be relieved that he didn't have to put up with me anymore. I never expected what happened." she said. "Tay and I are fine, stronger because of it. There isn't a male in this house that will ever lift a hand to a female because of it. Kaitlyn you were right, Tay didn't have feelings for you, but his ego was hurt, you were his and someone else was taking it so he defended you even though he didn't care. We laugh about it together. And we're both waiting patiently for the other to find someone special so we can truly be happy for each other. Someday he keeps saying. Someday, somewhere." Ike said. "Sounds like you. Someday, somewhere, is someone, don't settle for seconds. Your grandmother used to tell you that, that's where I heard it. I'm sorry you lost her, she was so cool. I like your song, she has to be smiling down on you boys. Yep, that's where you got that. I do remember it, remember you were jealous because she loved me and I was taking away from your hugging time. I remember Isaac Hanson pouting, That's my grandmother you told me, pushing me out the door, like I was to walk all the way home, so I headed out. She came after me with cookies and lured me back. God hun what were we, six and eight maybe. I still see her smile and her hugs were to die for." Kaitlyn said smiling. "I forgot how much she loved you. Kaitlyn you said you heard her tell me, I didn't see you, where were you?" Ike asked. "I was on the porch swing, we were swinging and she went to get more cookies, when you came in. Why?" she asked "Because when she said that, she turned me around and pushed me towards the door to the porch. She knew, I wasn't jealous of you loving her, I was jealous of her loving you. Because I wanted to love you." he said "Man,10 and so smart. Who'd figure?" she said. "Morning Kaitlyn." he said. "Isaac Hanson that's two nights in a row, man am I going to be dragging. You know if you keep this up when I get there, I will probably sleep the entire three days." she said. "Fine as long as it's in my arms." he said. "Oh, God I'm speechless." she said. "Not Kaitlyn Diana King, speechless, my little motor mouth. Never. Who are you and what have you done with the real Kaitlyn?" Ike teased. "Oh you are going to get it for that." Kaitlyn squealed "Ike I gotta go. It's time for my day to start. I love you." she said. "Kaitlyn promise me tonight no bad thoughts, Think of Grandmother Lawyer, Zoe, just no bad thoughts and I promise to fight the urge to call you, just to hear your voice, I won't even go to the old house tonight. You get some sleep. I really don't want you sleeping all three days." Ike said. "Promise hun. See You Thursday." she said hanging up and getting up, getting dressed.
The day was hard, morning in the center barely able to keep her eyes open and the afternoon she was down town pulling weeds, wheelbarrow load after wheelbarrow load. "Kaitlyn stop let me push that." Ken offered. "What's with you? You look like you didn't get any sleep." Ken asked. "I was up all night talking." Kaitlyn confesed. "Tell you what go sit under that tree and weed yourself to sleep. I'll cover." Ken offered. "Sure?" she questioned. "Sure, for letting me talk to my girl on the ride down. Then we're even and don't expect me to be nice ever again." he teased. "Deal, I sleep, you grump." she laughed and sat under the tree pulling weeds until she fell asleep.
That evening after dinner Kaitlyn went straight to bed. Mary was concerned and Ken explained all the weed pulling was tough on her. Thursday was finally here in approximately twelve hours she would be there, where she belonged, with him. She pulled weeds with a new interest and by lunch time, the center of town was without weeds and looked so much better, people traveled into town just to look and enjoy, having picnics in the park once again. "Job well done. I think we should all celebrate by taking the afternoon off, so our little someone can go somewhere and show her someone how special he is. Don't you think, Mary?" John asked. "I agree dear. Kaitlyn if you'd like to leave now, please do." Mary said. "I do, I do, bye guys, see you Monday morning, raring to go." Katilyn said racing back to the shelter. "Kaitlyn would you like a lift?" John said laughing. "Love" he added hugging Mary.
Kaitlyn popped the trunk and grabbed a special outfit from her suit case and headed in to change. She showered and dried her hair. And raced to her room in a towel, carrying her dirty clothes that she placed on her bed and tossed the towel on top. She took care dressing, it was for him. She finally slipped on the dress her favorite, the palest green almost icy looking, it pulled out the green in her eyes. Simple style, buttoned down the front with shimmering buttons, about mid calf, and she wore stappy sandals of a matching color. She grabbed her dirty clothes and stopped in the laundry room and started the washer and headed out. As she stepped out the front door, "God Kaitlyn you clean up good." Ken said. "Thanks, I think." she laughed. "Drive safe, play safe." John said giving her a fatherly look. "I will and thanks again for quitting early for me. Bye." she said and got in her car, heading west for the longest two hour drive of her life.
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